Film image input system

- Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.

A film image input system is disclosed which can use a film cartridge constructed in such a manner that it requires a small space for storing a developed still photo film and also can protect the film against dust and damage, and also which allows the film cartridge to be mounted into a cartridge mounting part very simply and positively. The film image input system 1 is arranged such that it reproduces the image of the developed still photo film 2 on a video monitor 18. The system uses a film cartridge 6 which comprises a cartridge main body having an outlet opening 7 for sending out the film 2 in the longitudinal direction thereof, a single spool which fixes one end of the film 2 in the longitudinal direction thereof and round which the whole length of the film 2 can be wound, and support means for supporting the spool in such a manner that it can be rotated in both directions. The film image input system includes film supply means 13 which is engageable with the spool of the film cartridge 6 to rotationally drive the spool in a direction to send out the film 2 from the cartridge main body and in a direction to rewind the film back into the cartridge main body. Due to this, the film image can be reproduced by one touch on the video monitor 18.

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Claims

1. A system for reproducing on a display means an image of a developed still photo film, said system using a film cartridge including a film cartridge main body for housing said developed still photo film therein, said film cartridge main body having a cylindrical outer periphery, except at a point where said developed still photo film exits said film cartridge, which completely surrounds said developed still photo film on all sides thereof and an outlet opening to send out said developed still photo film, said outlet opening extending out in a direction tangent to the outer periphery of said film cartridge main body and a single spool rotatably provided in said film cartridge main body, said single spool having one end of said developed still photo film affixed thereto in the longitudinal direction thereof and allowing winding of the whole length of said developed still photo film around said single spool, whereby the whole length of said developed still photo film is wound around said single spool to make it possible to put said developed still photo film under safekeeping, said system comprising:

a cartridge housing section for housing said film cartridge, and preventing said film cartridge main body from rotating when housing said film cartridge;
a film supply means having a spool driving member engaged with the single spool of said film cartridge, and having a first driving means for rotating said spool driving member in a direction sending out said developed still photo film from said film cartridge main body and a direction rewinding said developed still photo film back into said film cartridge main body;
a film winding means having a take-up shaft for taking up said developed still photo film, and having a second driving means for rotating said take-up shaft in a direction winding said developed still photo film;
a film guide means for guiding said developed still photo film delivered between said film supply means and said film winding means;
an image pickup means for picking up said image of said developed still photo film fed between said film supply means and said film winding means and outputting an image signal indicating a picked-up image; and
an image signal processing means for processing said image signal output from said image pickup means so that said display means displays said image of said developed still photo film in accordance with the processed image signal.

2. A film image input system as set forth in claim 1, further including film take-up means which, simultaneously when said developed still photo film is sent out from said film cartridge by said film supply means, is engageable with one end of the developed still photo film to take up said developed still photo film, and a pair of picture frame forming means respectively having an opening of a size corresponding substantially to one frame of said developed still photo film between said film supply and take-up means, and respectively disposed opposed to the respective front and back surfaces of said developed still photo film.

3. A film image input system as set forth in claim 2, wherein, in synchronization with the movements of said film supply and take-up means, said pair of picture frame forming means cooperate together to press against said developed still photo film and to keep the image recording surface of said developed still photo film at the focusing surface of an image pickup optical system when both of said film supply and take-up means are stopped, and said pair of picture frame forming means releasing said developed still photo film when at least one of said film supply and take-up means is driven.

4. A film image input system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said film supply means includes means, when said film take-up means is driven in a direction to take up said developed still photo film, for applying to said developed still photo film a tension in a direction opposite a to the developed still photo film moving direction, and wherein said film take-up means includes means, when said supply means is driven in a direction to rewind said developed still photo film, for applying a tension in a direction opposite to the developed still photo film moving direction.

5. A film image input system as set forth in claim 2, further including detecting means for detecting that said developed still photo film is interposed between said film supply means and said take-up means, and means, once said developed still photo film has been detected and then is no longer detected by said detecting means, for displaying after a short time that said film cartridge can be discharged from said system, and for enabling said film cartridge to be discharged.

6. The system according to claim 1 further comprising an image memory for storing therein said image signal output from said image signal processing means, and wherein said display means displays said image of said developed still photo film in accordance with said image signal read out from said image memory.

7. A film feeding unit using a film cartridge including a film cartridge main body for housing a still photo film therein, said film cartridge main body having a cylindrical outer periphery, except at a point where said still photo film exits said film cartridge, which completely surrounds said still photo film on all sides thereof, and an outlet opening to send out said still photo film in a direction tangent to said outer periphery of said film cartridge main body, and a single spool rotatably provided in said film cartridge main body and having one end of said still photo film affixed thereto in the longitudinal direction thereof, said film cartridge allowing winding of the whole length of said still photo film around said single spool, whereby the whole length of said still photo film is wound around said single spool and is housed in said film cartridge, said film feeding unit comprising:

a cartridge housing section for housing said film cartridge, and preventing said cartridge main body from rotating when housing said film cartridge;
a film supply means having a spool driving member engaged with said spool of said film cartridge housed in said cartridge housing section, and having a first driving means for rotating said spool driving member in a direction of sending out said still photo film from said film cartridge main body and rewinding said still photo film into said film cartridge main body;
a film winding means having a take-up shaft for taking up said still photo film, and having a second driving means for rotating said take-up shaft in a direction of winding said still photo film;
a film guide means for guiding said still photo film fed between said film supply means and said film winding means; and
a control means for starting to feed said still photo film from said film cartridge in synchronization with mounting said film cartridge into and closing said cartridge housing section.

8. The film feeding unit according to claim 7, wherein said control means controls said first driving means of said film supply means so as to send out said still photo film from said film cartridge main body, and controls said second driving means of said film winding means so as to wind said still photo film at a winding speed higher than a feeding speed of said still photo film sent out from said film supply means.

9. The film feeding unit according to claim 7, wherein said control means stops feeding said still photo film when said still photo film sent out from said film supply means reaches a predetermined frame.

10. A film feeding unit, said film feeding unit using a film cartridge including a film cartridge main body for housing said still photo film therein, said film cartridge main body having a cylindrical outer periphery, except at a point where said still photo film exits said film cartridge, which completely surrounds said still photo film on all sides thereof, and an outlet opening to send out said still photo film in a direction tangent to said outer periphery of said film cartridge main body, and a single spool rotatably provided in said film cartridge main body and having one end of said still photo film affixed thereto in the longitudinal direction thereof, said film cartridge allowing winding of the whole length of said still photo film around said single spool, whereby the whole length of said still photo film is wound around said single spool and is housed in said film cartridge, said film feeding unit comprising:

a cartridge housing section for housing said film cartridge and preventing said film cartridge main body from rotating when housing said film cartridge;
a film supply means having a spool driving member engaged with said spool of said film cartridge housed in said cartridge housing section, and having a first driving means for rotating said spool driving member in a direction of sending out said still photo film from said film cartridge main body and rewinding said still photo film into said film cartridge main body;
a film winding means having a take-up shaft for taking up said still photo film, and having a second driving means for rotating said take-up shaft in a direction of winding said still photo film;
a film guide means for guiding said still photo film fed between said film supply means and said film winding means;
a locking means for locking said cartridge housing section so as to prevent said film cartridge from being taken out of said cartridge housing section;
a detecting means for detecting when said still photo film is located between said film supply means and said film winding means; and
a lock releasing means for releasing the locking means of said cartridge housing section when said still photo film is not detected after said still photo film had previously been detected by said detecting means.

11. The film feeding unit according to claim 10, wherein when the locking means of said cartridge housing section has been released by said lock releasing means, said film feeding unit indicates that said film cartridge is ready to be discharged.

12. The film feeding unit according to claim 10, wherein when the locking means of said cartridge housing section has been released by said lock releasing means, said film cartridge is automatically discharged from said cartridge housing section.

13. A system for reproducing on a display means an image of a developed still photo film coated with a magnetic recording layer, wherein magnetic information of each frame is recorded in said magnetic layer, said system using a film cartridge including a film cartridge main body for housing said developed still photo film therein, said film cartridge main body having a cylindrical outer periphery, except at a point where said developed still photo film exits said film cartridge, which completely surrounds said developed still photo film on all sides thereof and an outlet opening to send out said developed still photo film in a direction tangent to said outer periphery of said film cartridge main body, and a single spool rotatably provided in said film cartridge main body and having one end of said developed still photo film affixed thereto in the longitudinal direction thereof, said film cartridge allowing winding of the whole length of said developed still photo film around said single spool, whereby the whole length of said developed still photo film is wound around said single spool to make it possible to safekeep said developed still photo film, said system comprising:

a cartridge housing section for housing said film cartridge, and preventing said film cartridge main body from rotating when housing said film cartridge;
a film supply means having a spool driving member engaged with said spool of said film cartridge housed in said cartridge housing section, and having a first driving means for rotating said spool driving member in a direction of sending out said still photo film from said film cartridge main body and rewinding said still photo film into said film cartridge main body;
a film winding means having a take-up shaft for taking up said still photo film, and having a second driving means for rotating aid take-up shaft in a direction of winding said still photo film;
a film guide means for guiding said still photo film fed between said film supply means and said film winding means;
an image pickup means for picking up the image of said developed still photo film fed between said film supply means and said film winding means to output an image signal indicating the picked-up image;
a magnetic information reading means having a magnetic head and reading magnetic information of each frame from a magnetic recording layer on said developed still photo film; and
an image signal processing means for processing said image signal output from said image pickup means in accordance with said magnetic information read by said magnetic information reading means, so that said display means displays the image of said developed still photo film in accordance with the processed image signal.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said magnetic head of said magnetic information reading means is arranged between said outlet opening of said film cartridge and an image pickup area in said image pickup means.

15. A system for reproducing on a display means an image of a developed still photographic film coated with a magnetic recording layer, wherein magnetic information of each frame is recorded in said magnetic layer, said system using a film cartridge including a film cartridge main body for housing said developed still photo film therein, said film cartridge main body having a cylindrical outer periphery, except at a point where said developed still photo film exits said film cartridge, which completely surrounds said still photo film on all sides thereof and an outlet opening to send out said still photo film in a direction tangent to said outer periphery of said film cartridge main body, and a single spool rotatably provided in said film cartridge main body and having one end of said still photo film affixed thereto in the longitudinal direction thereof, said film cartridge allowing winding of the whole length of said still photo film around said single spool, whereby the whole length of said still photo film is wound around said single spool and is housed in said film cartridge, said system comprising:

a cartridge housing section for housing said film cartridge and preventing said film cartridge main body from rotating when housing said film cartridge;
a film supply means having a spool driving member engaged with said spool of said film cartridge housed in said cartridge housing section, and having a first driving means for rotating said spool driving member in a direction of sending out said still photo film from said film cartridge main body and rewinding said still photo film into said film cartridge main body;
a film winding means having a take-up shaft for taking up said still photo film, and having a second driving means for rotating said take-up shaft in a direction of winding said still photo film;
a film guide means for guiding said still photo film fed between said film supply means and said film winding means;
an image pickup means for picking up the image of said developed still photo film fed between said film supply means and said film winding means to output an image signal indicating the picked-up image;
a magnetic information reading means having a magnetic head reading magnetic information of each frame from a magnetic recording layer on said developed still photo film;
an image signal processing means for processing said image signal output from said image pickup means in accordance with said magnetic information read by said magnetic information reading means, so that said display means displays the image of said developed still photo film in accordance with the processed image signal; and
a film feed controlling means for controlling at least one of said film supply means and said film winding means in accordance with said magnetic information read by said magnetic information reading means.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said film feed controlling means detects a photographing start frame from magnetic information read by said magnetic information reading means, and controls feeding of said developed still photo film such that a portion of said developed still photo film before said photographing start frame is not reproduced.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein said film feed controlling means detects a frame which need not be reproduced, and controls the feeding of said developed still photo film so that a reproduction of said frame is omitted.

Referenced Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
4482924 November 13, 1984 Brownstein
4485406 November 27, 1984 Brownstein
4506300 March 19, 1985 Fearnside
4678300 July 7, 1987 Keach
5006873 April 9, 1991 Wash
5016030 May 14, 1991 Dwyer et al.
5093680 March 3, 1992 Shigaki
5124742 June 23, 1992 Yoshikawa
5142310 August 25, 1992 Taniguchi et al.
Foreign Patent Documents
1-289948 November 1989 JPX
01-289948 November 1989 JPX
2-93530 April 1990 JPX
WO 90/04301 April 1990 WOX
90/04301 April 1990 WOX
Patent History
Patent number: 5861911
Type: Grant
Filed: Jan 27, 1995
Date of Patent: Jan 19, 1999
Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. (Kanagawa)
Inventors: Shigenori Oosaka (Tokyo), Katuo Asami (Tokyo), Hitoshi Yozawa (Tokyo), Kazuo Ikari (Tokyo), Takeshi Misawa (Tokyo), Nakao Oi (Minami-ashigara), Kuniharu Kitagawa (Minami-ashigara), Tadayoshi Shibata (Minami-ashigara)
Primary Examiner: Andrew Faile
Assistant Examiner: Tuan V. Ho
Law Firm: Sughrue, Mion, Zinn, Macpeak & Seas
Application Number: 8/379,017
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: Film, Disc Or Card Scanning (348/96); Support Or Housing (348/373); Mechanical Detail (396/411)
International Classification: H04N 5253;